Iran has just taken dog walking to a whole new level of banned — again.
The government has banned dog-walking in 18 states in the past week due to health and safety concerns.
What started in Tehran back in 2019 as a police order banning dog walking has now snowballed into a nationwide crackdown.
Over the past week, at least 18 other cities across Iran have followed suit, including Isfahan and Kerman.
Even transporting dogs by car is now off-limits. Yes, apparently your pooch can’t catch a ride either.
But Why?
Why all the fuss over furry friends? It’s rooted in decades-old attitudes that label dogs as “unclean,” a cultural hangover from the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
To Iran’s conservative authorities, dogs represent a Western influence that just doesn’t fit with the country’s strict social codes.
The ban’s enforcement is a mixed bag. In some places, officials warn that “legal action” will be taken against those caught walking their dogs.
In Ilam, for example, authorities are ready to crack down. But in Tehran and beyond, many dog owners continue their dog-walks in defiance.
